Pool Runs
4.4
Starting Price: $45/month
Per Property Pricing
Key Features
- Route Optimization
- ACH & CC Autopay
- QuickBooks Sync
- Offline Field Mode
- Digital Door Hangers
- LSI Calculator
Includes
- Trial
- Demo
Pool Runs vs. UpBuoy Cost & Feature Comparison
This review evaluates Pool Runs and UpBuoy across core database metrics, including route optimization logic, chemistry/LSI tracking parameters, billing models, and field application stability.
UpBuoy
4.3
Starting Price: $99/month
Per Location Pricing
Key Features
- Route Optimization
- ACH & CC Autopay
- QuickBooks Sync
- Offline Field Mode
- Digital Door Hangers
- LSI Calculator
Includes
- Trial
- Demo
Price Breakdown
Pool Runs bills you per property and UpBuoy bills you per location.
Pool Runs Pricing
Pool Runs charges per property. Core includes 50 properties, plus $1.75 for each additional property, and covers up to 200 properties.
Starting Price
$45/month
+$1.75 per property
UpBuoy Pricing
UpBuoy charges per location: $99/month for the first 33 locations, plus $3 for each additional location.
Starting Price
$99/month
+$3 per location
What Would Each Cost Your Company?
Starting prices don’t compare well when tools bill by different units. Pick the company closest to yours to see what each would cost as you grow.
For a growing company, UpBuoy is about $1,350/month and Pool Runs needs a custom quote.
| Company | Pool Runs |  UpBuoy | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter1 tech · 30 pools | $45 (lower cost)Core | $99Professional | $54 |
| Solo1 tech · 75 pools | $88.75 (lower cost)Core | $225Professional | $136.25 |
| Small team3 techs · 200 pools | $307.50 (lower cost)Core | $600Professional | $292.50 |
| Growing6 techs · 450 pools | Custom quote | $1,350Professional | — |
| Established12 techs · 900 pools | Custom quote | $2,700Professional | — |
How we priced a growing company
Pool Runs: No public plan fits this size
UpBuoy: Professional plan, $99 base + 417 more locations × $3
Estimates from public pricing, monthly billing, before add-ons · Verified Oct 2026
Something out of date? Verify this information
Feature Comparison
To evaluate how these platforms perform during daily field operations, we audited both systems against a standardized matrix of core industry requirements. The following breakdown isolates the primary must-have features required to manage a scalable pool route, mapping out how each platform structures its database logic for scheduling, billing infrastructure, field accountability, and water chemistry logging.
- Included
- Add-on
- Not included
- Upgrade needed
| Feature | Pool Runs | UpBuoy |
|---|---|---|
| Route Management & Scheduling | 5 of 6 | 5 of 6 |
| Drag-and-Drop Scheduling | Included | Included |
| Efficient Route Optimization | Included | Included |
| Live GPS Tracking | Included | Included |
| Technician Activity Reporting | Included | Included |
| Re-routing Flexibility | Included | Included |
| Fleet Management (speeding, etc) | Not included | Not included |
| Billing & Payments | 6 of 9 | 7 of 9 |
| Flexible Billing Options (by week, month, stop) | Included | Included |
| Bulk Invoicing | Included | Included |
| Mobile Payments (Apple Pay & Google Pay) | Included | Included |
| ACH & Credit Card Payments | Included | Included |
| Accounting Sync with QuickBooks | Included | Included |
| Manage Quotes & Estimates | Included | Included |
| Consumer Financing | Not included | Not included |
| Late Fee Reminders | Not included | Included |
| Surcharge Options | Not included | Not included |
| Business Intelligence & Admin | 5 of 9 | 7 of 9 |
| Route Profit Tracking | Included | Included |
| Manage Multiple Bodies of Water | Not included | Not included |
| Create, Manage, & Store Contracts | Included | Included |
| Inventory Tracking | Included | Included |
| Labor Cost Tracking | Not included | Included |
| Equipment Tracking | Included | Included |
| Technician Scorecards | Not included | Included |
| Barcode Scanning | Not included | Not included |
| Service History Reporting | Included | Included |
| Customer Experience | 3 of 7 | 6 of 7 |
| Digital Door-Hangers | Included | Included |
| Customer Portal | Included | Included |
| SMS Notifications | Add-on | Included |
| Mass Broadcast Communications | Add-on | Included |
| Detailed Reporting for Each Stop | Included | Included |
| Branded Reporting | Not included | Included |
| Allow Customer Feedback | Not included | Not included |
| Field Operations | 8 of 8 | 8 of 8 |
| App works offline | Included | Included |
| Technician Checklists | Included | Included |
| Stored Customer Information (gate numbers, dog reminders, etc) | Included | Included |
| Customer Equipment Information (equipment SKUs, etc) | Included | Included |
| Work Order Management | Included | Included |
| Photo / Notes Logging | Included | Included |
| Standardized Job Templates | Included | Included |
| Specialty Task Scheduling (clean salt cell, filter clean) | Included | Included |
| Water Chemistry & Chemicals | 5 of 6 | 5 of 6 |
| LSI Calculator (Saturation Index) | Included | Included |
| Chemical Dosing Recommendations | Included | Included |
| Chemical Dosing Costs | Included | Included |
| Historical Chemistry Logs | Included | Included |
| Custom Chemical & Chemistry Ranges | Not included | Not included |
| Customer Chemical Dosage Reporting | Included | Included |
| AI & Automation | 1 of 7 | 1 of 7 |
| AI Phone Assistant | Add-on | Not included |
| AI Chatbot | Add-on | Not included |
| Predictive Route Management | Included | Included |
| Automated Collections & Billings | Not included | Not included |
| Automated Chemistry & Chemical Recommendations | Not included | Not included |
| Automated Anomaly Detection (identify water problems before they occur) | Not included | Not included |
| Automated Lead Engagements | Add-on | Not included |
Something out of date? Verify this information
Integrations & Support
| Integrations | Pool Runs | UpBuoy |
|---|---|---|
 QuickBooks | Included | Included |
 Stripe | Included | Included |
| Support & Training | Pool Runs | UpBuoy |
|---|---|---|
| Available Devices & Apps | ||
| iOS App | Included | Included |
| Android App | Included | Included |
| Web Browser | Included | Included |
| Offline Mode | Included | Included |
| Customer Support | ||
| Live Chat | Not included | Not included |
| Phone Support | Included | Not included |
| 24/7 Support | Included | Not included |
| Included | Included | |
| Dedicated Account Manager | Not included | Not included |
| Knowledge Base | Not included | Included |
| Platform Training | ||
| Demo | Included | Included |
| In Person | Not included | Not included |
| Live Online Training | Not included | Not included |
| Webinars | Not included | Not included |
| Tutorials | Not included | Included |
| Videos | Not included | Not included |
Which Platform is Better for Your Business
Who Uses Pool Runs?
Best for: Field Tech Experience
- Small to medium-sized teams with fewer than 10 techs.
- Small to mid-sized routes, up to 500 pools.
- Owners who care most about AI & automation and field operations, where Pool Runs stands out.
Who Uses UpBuoy?
Best for: Just Starting Out
- Teams of any size, from owner-operators to crews of 10+ techs.
- Routes of up to 100 pools.
- Owners who care most about billing & payments and customer experience, where UpBuoy stands out.
